Star Wars: Supply Lines

In the Republic, the shadows only lengthen

Upheaval is the name of the universe, sometimes. When you’ve fought dark Jedi, robots, foul plots and become frozen in a cryogenic sleep amid a protypical superweapon, your perception of what is normal and what isn’t can become somewhat flawed.

Our heroes, awakened by a blathering archaeologist (or outlaw, or opportunist, depending on that ‘certain point of view’ a friend was always talking about) found themselves in a confounding new galaxy, controlled by a new Sith Empire, split into three major factions. Even the Jedi of this era seem different, with some swearing allegiance to the deposed Emperor, and some to the order founded by Skywalker.

Finding themselves in a hasty alliance with agents of the Imperial Remnant, fighting the Sith Empire for control of a Mid-Rim tradeworld of some importance. More importantly, they quickly found themselves pawns, used and discarded to capture the planet when they expected to be merely deposing the Sith appointees.

Without a strong feeling on behalf of the Imperial Remnant, then, our heroes find themselves adrift in Independent Space, separated along the Outer Rim. Dron, keeping a low profile, maintains his hermitage on the remote planet of Corvis Minor.

Sal has returned to his home sector, but finds Kashyyk blockaded, and keeps a low profile, biding his time.

Zklang and Aryse have taken to smuggling, albeit State-sponsored; they fled to the Galactic Alliance, and frequently ferry intelligence assets in contested space, keeping one step ahead of the Sith.

Finally, the younger Jedi have set off on a mission, at their master’s suggestion, to locate the remnants of the Skywalker Order, to do all the good they can do for the war-torn galaxy, which seems to have a great shortage of competent individuals willing to stand for the oppressed.

Of Knight, there is no solid news. Rumors have passed of an ancient warship crewed by a red-haired wild man and his company of insane droids, though for one, Zklang marks this up to the expected level of dramatic bravado Knight has always been well known for.

Well. We've been fighting droids on and off for some time now, and I'm beginning to think that joining up again with the Jedi might not have been for the best. For one, the Wookiee and Dron have some kind of pissing competition going on, and I'm not sure that it really even matters what they're doing when it flares up the worst. For another, Aryse and I haven't had much time together lately. I'm a bit worried about her, since she's been exposed to so much violence, but honestly, I keep her as safe as she'd be on just about any smuggling mission, and she's not much of a person for being cooped up unnecessarily.

I don't think things are going wrong, though, with any of it. With any luck, the Jedi won't have much to say against my help, and for once, I'll be where I belong in this crazy universe. All I need to do is catch this Acco Bacche fellow, and we're in business. Past experience predicts that we'll rope him in, get him to take us to his employer, offer them the chance to surrender, and then blow them up on account of them refusing to surrender.

It sure is simpler than things with Aryse, though I certainly wouldn't say better.

Here they come.

Well. The month I've spent on this rock is finally coming to fruition. I thought that they would be on their way a bit sooner than this, but that's the Jedi for you. Always out to make a nuisance of themselves if they can, by marching to the beat of their own drum. They don't exactly endear themselves to me, I guess, but then again, I am here, waiting on them. Well. We'll see what they think when I see them. I mean, it's been years. Who knows, things could be completely different.

All in all, though, I doubt it. I just can't see them able to change anymore. The Jedi Order, if it keeps this up, is going to stagnate and wither, and there's not a thing they can do about it. At least they're on the side of democracy in this whole crazy thing, but I've got to say; there are good people on both sides of this thing. Thankfully, they're not going to be fighting each other…that's for the clones and the 'droids.

All said, it's enough to make me not worry too much about Palpatine's Emergency Powers Act 2. Three months have gone by, and we're not all slaves, yet. I hope they really do kill that bill when this war is over.

Then again, if the CIS just finished killing 800 million people on Coruscant, there's no way we can have any mercy on those people. I mean, maybe the generals are just doing their job, but Dooku? Nute Gunray? I won't shed a tear when they get what they deserve.

Zklang

So, today, I quit my job.It's not that I didn't like it. It's not that my coworkers were underperforming. The problem is that they're just…well, they just don't seem to understand how the universe works. It's chaotic. It's random. All we've got is a…well, just a sliver of a chance of getting everything right, and, they're more interested in why you did it, than in what you've accomplished.These people. Man. I just…I just have no words for them. I work, risk my life time and time again, and it doesn't matter.The worst part? It's a military job. I recently took down an illegal operation I can't talk too much about in the harshest environment I've ever set foot in. There were bad guys everywhere, and we had some substantial casualties, but by the time we got back? Nothing from the bosses. Not even a good job. Doing this work for most organizations would put me in a great position to expand my career, and here, I get a two-and-a-half-by-three room, and food.I thought it might get better. We went on this latest mission. Big bad finally down. Stolen property dealt with. No serious casualties. Not a perfect mission, but damn close.Nothing. Not a thing. Not even a paycheck. Just a room that doesn't break four meters on the diagonal, and berth-space for a fighter that I'm not sure I even want anymore. I'm tired. I'm sick. I'm done.

Is there any hope?

It seems that, our heroes, found themselves on a desperate mission, used as pawns by the Jedi Temple to reduce Koreel's secret cloning facility to ash and cinders.

The Jedi-way is less complex than many think, after all. They assign the quality "evil" to their enemies. They hunt them down. They slay them. It is a battle of definitions as old as time itself, and the obvious one-sidedness cannot be disputed. The Jedi, by the tenuous thread of a definition, keep themselves high in the galactic saddle, ensuring that there is always a place for them in the lands of opulance and power.

The supposed secret cloning facility was located in the far reaches of space, beyond the Maw, and Hutt Space; in an unnamed and unmentioned planet, barely managing it's own existence in a tidal war with itself and its two suns. Four of every five days spent bathed in radiation that would destroy a lesser planet. The Republic wanted no part of this place, so I took it upon myself to utilize it.

Now, of course, they send their goons to destroy me. Jedi Dron Cah, who I know well by now, and presumably his friends, Zklang Tselim, Knight, The Pale Horse, and a wookie that I have not been introduced to properly. There may be more; they have an annoying habit of picking up friends.

From Coruscant, they slithered, quietly on the heels of my resupply ships. I knew someone was here that didn't belong not long into the day, but the contact was…fleeting. I dismissed it for a time, but only so many rats can sneak through your air vents.

Today, however, is a new day. Dron's friends are trapped in my basement, and Dron himself. Well. He lies unconscious in front of me, and the curiosity to discovery how he works with a laser scapel is nearly unbearable. We shall see soon. Rest in peace, dear Dron. Your masters have failed you, but as a Jedi you cannot blame them.

Bookmark it kids...it's for real.

So, you're new to the Koreel Campaign? You don't count yourself among the lucky few who have gotten to play it?

Well, here goes:

In the beginning, Zklang, Dron, Knight, a young Jedi named Teal, and a scout found themselves at a chance meeting on Coruscant, for different, but somewhat convergent reasons. Soon, a terrorist attack united them in the defense of the Jedi Temple, as well as hundreds of innocent bystanders. A quick triumph led the players to be recognized by the Temple as useful compatriots, and soon, they were sent on a simple mission to assist a small issue with Sienar Systems Corporation, involving some corporate espionage.

This proved to be both an excellent training exercise for the party, as well as a useful diplomatic mission between the Republic and one of their most important contractors.

The Temple, impressed with their success, sent them on a mission to Dathomir, to the hulk of the Chu'Un'Thor, in order to find a very specific item: A Holocron.

This holocron, it seemed, had attracted the attention of another individual, a man named Koreel, who managed to ferret away the holocron at the last moment. All the player's work at allying with the locals, battling Rancors, and searching the crashed ship for the relic seemed for naught.

Returning to Coruscant, the Council was concerned, especially at the reports of Koreel having had Jedi-training. A search for him, and the holocron, was immediately mounted.

Soon, it was discovered that his father had ties on Nar Shadaa, and that he somehow had acquired a Hapan Nova class battlecruiser known as the Pale Rider. After a great deal of work, on planet, the group confronted Koreel, who narrowly escaped, without the holocron.

The PCs then captured the Nova, and returned with it to Coruscant, where, holocron in hand, they were greeted by the Hapan Royal Armada, and thanked personally by the Queen Mother, a young Ta'a Chume. Dron was declared a Jedi, and Knight was offered training, thanks to his meritorious service.

The PCs then encountered some "down time" to think, gather intelligence, and refocus themselves. During this time, the Jedi information network sought information on Koreel, and was partially successful at finding some information. Meanwhile, the group split, with two going to forge their own paths, Knight remaining basically to train at the Temple with his new master, Anja Kuro, and Dron and Zklang, through some diplomatic mishaps, becoming acquainted with Jedi Salwarr.

These three then continued the Koreel mission, disguising themselves as pirates to infiltrate his organization. Soon, they discovered that the rabbit hole went much deeper than they had suspected.

Koreel was building an army, and the Nova class was just the beginning. He had also stolen from the Hapans the Battle Dragon Palemaster, which greeted the NPCs when they arrived at the rendezvous-point. Their plan (to infiltrate Koreel's organization and capture him, as well as his new flagship) quickly fell apart, and the awful truth was revealed.

Koreel gave himself up, on condition he was to be allowed to speak with the Jedi Council. While wary of the prospect, Dron, Salwarr, and Zklang conveyed him to Coruscant, more of the story was revealed.

Koreel had a stable of clones of himself, trained in the Force, of which one had surrendered, purely to taunt the Jedi, for perceived injustice.

Since, the players have liberated one small outpost colony that was seized by Koreel's clones, but it is likely that there are several more. The issue has rapidly escalated, but many questions still remain. Who is Koreel? Why does he hate the Jedi? How has he outsmarted the Hapan Navy to steal their ships?

Most important, though, are his future plans, and specifically, thwarting them.

This, then, brings us to the crux of the campaign: The Hunt for Koreel, and his clones, as well as the scientists practicing illegal cloning.

The current, in-game setting is eight months after the events of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.